Breaking news incidents posted from around the Greater Boston Area and beyond posted here. Information obtained is directly from monitoring emergency radio scanner traffic

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Storrow Drive pedestrian accident

Around 1:30 this morning Boston Fire & EMS crews as well as the Massachusetts State Police responded to reports of a pedestrian struck on Storrow Drive Eastbound near the Dartmouth St footbridge just prior to the Copley tunnel. Trooper Leo Santiago was first on the scene and discovered a pedestrian on the ground after what witnesses reported seeing a pedestrian "fall" from the footbridge and landed on top of a taxi. The victim, a male; was transported to the Tufts New England Medical Center in serious condition.The road was closed as was the foot bridge and all traffic was diverted off at the Dartmouth St ramp for approximately 2 1/2 hours so emergency personnel could respond & conduct the investigation.

It is unclear at this time whether it was a medical condition, suicide attempt, or was physically pushed off. The facts and circumstances of the events leading to the incident are being investigated by members of the State Police Detective unit and Crime scene services section. The victims identity has also been withheld pending proper notification. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Now for the best part: As troopers were working the crash; given the access to the tunnel was shut down for several hours it created a significant delay, apparently there was an impatient motorist who decided to lean on his horn all the way thru the back up not realizing what was ahead: SURPRISE! 4 troopers surrounded his vehicle and started questioning him. upon further investigation they ordered him out of the vehicle with a suspicion he had been drinking. A field sobriety test was conducted and the subject was subsequently placed under arrest and transported to the Brighton barracks for booking after operating under the influence. Minutes later a pedestrian tried to access the footbridge to get over to the other side; however it was closed due to the investigation so he decides to run across the westbound lanes to the eastbound side. troopers saw him and quickly approached the median strip in the roadway and pulled him against the fence to further protect him from oncoming traffic in the westbound lanes. You probably guessed it- Yes it was a drunk college student that was obviously obliterated to what was going on around him. The troopers hailed a taxi in the the backup and sent him on his way. I must say it was quite the interesting 2.5 hours I spent there.

The incident still remains under investigation by the state police detective unit and the Suffolk County District Attorney. I believe he is still in serious condition at the hospital. The troopers out of H troop once again did a great job.